James Nunnally’s homecoming will be short but sweet.
The Minnesota Timberwolves forward and former Weston Ranch High basketball star is making a pitstop at his alma mater next Tuesday between NBA games in Northern California. Nunnally will have his old No. 21 jersey retired in a special ceremony prior to the Cougars’ varsity contest against McClymonds of Oakland. He’ll be the first Weston Ranch graduate to have his number retired at the Manteca Unified school, which opened in 2003.
The festivities begin with the junior varsity game at 4:30 p.m., and the varsity tilt is scheduled for a 6:15 start. Weston Ranch teacher and assistant varsity boys basketball coach Eddie Menzel is spearheading the event. He wanted to come up with a way to honor the achievement since Nunnally signed a two-year contract with Minnesota on Aug. 8.
Menzel said the timing was perfect with the Timberwolves visiting Golden State on Monday and the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Weston Ranch was originally slated to play at McClymonds, which agreed to change sites.
“It’s an idea that has always been in place,” Menzel said. “We’ve wanted to do a jersey retirement. It’s such an exclusive club and you want to set the criteria pretty high for it.
“James did have a couple 10-game stints in the NBA and had a successful career overseas, but the second he signed a two-year career he officially made it. It’s the pinnacle of a playing career for an athlete, and we just want to honor and acknowledge him reaching that milestone. It’s a big deal.”
The last Manteca Unified product to play in the NBA is Scott Brooks, an East Union High alumnus (1983) who is now head coach of the Washington Wizards. The French Camp native who grew up in Lathrop played for six NBA teams over 10 seasons. Among those teams were the 1994 NBA champion Houston Rockets and the Timberwolves (1990-92).
The 6-foot-7 Nunnally, now 28, graduated from Weston Ranch in 2008 as its all-time leading scorer and a two-time Manteca Bulletin All-Area MVP. He was part of two Valley Oak League championship teams and helped the Cougars make their first Sac-Joaquin Section championship game appearance. They lost to highly-favored Sacramento 62-58 in 2007. Nunnally averaged 22.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks as a senior.
Nunnally went on to play for UC Santa Barbara and made the All-Big West second team twice.
It has been quite the journey since he was an undrafted free agent in 2012. He joined several NBA Summer League teams, had brief runs in the NBA D-League (now the G-League) and signed 10-day contracts with the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers — averaging 3.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 13 total appearances.
Internationally, he had tours for teams in Greece, Puerto Rico, Spain, Israel, Italy and Turkey. In 2015-16, Nunnally was named Lega Basket Serie A MVP after averaging 18.4 points for Sidigas Avellino of the Italian league. He played in the EuroLeague last year, registering 9.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while making 55.4 percent of his 3-pointers.
So far this season he has appeared in eight games for Minnesota
Menzel played with Nunnally’s older brother, Mike Nunnally, at East Union and was James’ freshman coach at Weston Ranch. Menzel remains close friends with the Nunnally brothers.
“James is a homegrown kid who grew up here,” Menzel said. Nunnally attended August Knodt School in the South Stockton community.
Manteca High athletic director Bill Slikker will emcee the jersey retirement ceremony. He is Weston Ranch’s first boys basketball coach. Menzel noted that Nunnally will be “accompanied by special guests.”
Following the ceremony, Nunnally will meet with attendees for picture taking and autograph signings at the cafeteria during halftime of the varsity game. 
“I’ve known James and his brother for a really long time,” Menzel said. “I got to see him grow up and had the opportunity coach him as a freshman and watch him develop through the years.
“When James was 10 years old all he talked about was playing in the league. James is a dude who worked for it. He did not make it on insane athletic ability, he worked his butt off. To see that means a lot to him, his family and everyone that got to be part of his life. We are all just proud.”